Volkswagen Polo GTI Overview

The auto aficionados across the nation had been waiting eagerly for the Volkswagen Polo GTI due to its impeccable performance. It was at the 2016 Auto Expo in February that the company hinted that it might actually introduce the Polo GTI hatch in the Indian market, as it was being showcased for the first time at the Volkswagen podium in all its glory. Well, now it’s finally been here, but with a limited batch of just 99 units. The 3-door hot hatch comes with sporty styling, sophisticated cabin and sterling performance. It would lock horns with the Mini Cooper hatch in the Indian market.

Volkswagen Polo GTI Exterior

The 3-door Volkswagen Polo GTI exterior measures 3976 mm in length, 1682 mm in width and 1452 mm in height, while having a wheelbase of 2468 mm. It has a kerb weight of 1273 kg and fuel tank capacity of 45 litre. As for the front fascia, It flaunts full LED headlamps with Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) and red inserts. The Volkswagen Polo GTI features a sportier front bumper, flanked by the signature GTI honeycomb grille. There is body cladding on the sill panels and the ORVMs have integrated turn indicators. The side and rear windows have green-heat insulating glass. The Polo GTI rides on 16-inch 'SALVADOR' grey metallic alloy wheels. Coming to the rear end, there are LED license plate lamps, dark red tail-lamps, dual chrome exhaust pipes and reflectors on the bumper, to sum up the exterior styling of the hatch.

Volkswagen Polo GTI Interior

The Volkswagen Polo GTI interior has sporty front seats with enlarged bolster and height adjustment, while the rear seats offer a 60:40 fold function. The seat trim covers are finished in fabric 'Clark' with GTI signature red colour strips and stitching. There is a sporty flat-bottomed leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel with ‘GTI’-inscribed red stitching and paddle shifters. The company engineers have provided a plethora of storage compartments in the hatch in the form of drawers under the front seats, sunglass, coins, card and pen holders inside the glove box, bottle holders in the front doors, map pockets at the back of the front seats, coat hooks at the rear, etc., to mention a few. The front centre console houses a 12 V outlet to charge your smartphone. It gets hill start assist, cooled glove box, start/stop system with generative braking, cruise control, climatronic air conditioning system and luggage compartment lighting. A music system with 6 speakers, and Aux-in, USB and Bluetooth connectivity is a standard feature on the hatch.

Volkswagen Polo GTI Engine & Transmission

Volkswagen Polo GTI specifications include a 1.8 L 4-cylinder in-line TSI petrol engine, which generates 189 bhp between 5400-6200 rpm and 250 Nm between 1250-5300 rpm. It is linked to a 7-speed DSG automatic transmission with paddle shifters on the tilt and telescopic steering. The hatch does a 0-100 kmph sprint in mere 7.2 seconds, before topping out at 233 kmph.

Volkswagen Polo GTI Mileage

The ARAI-certified Volkswagen Polo GTI mileage figure is 16.34 kmpl, which is quite impressive, given the performance of the hatch.

Volkswagen Polo GTI Braking and Safety

Volkswagen Polo GTI features disc brakes at the front as well as rear, of which calipers are painted in a bright red paint scheme. It gets an array of high-end safety systems, such as ESC, ABS, ASR, EDL and EDTC. The company is offering 6 airbags as standard equipment in the hatch. There are 3-point seat belts at the front with height adjustment and pretensioner. The rear seats have height adjustable L-shaped head restraints and 3-point seat belts. In addition, a park distance control feature is also available, which provides the driver an acoustic warning signal for obstacles at the front and rear.

Volkswagen Polo GTI Performance and Handling

The retuned suspension system comes to rescue of the Polo GTI, as far as the handling is concerned. However, the steering could have been made a bit more responsive. It performs amazingly with brisk acceleration.

What do we think about Volkswagen Polo GTI?

Considering the Volkswagen Polo GTI price in India, it is purely made for hardcore high-adrenaline junkies and it has very less to do with a common car buyer. The 3-door high-performance hatch is sold as limited edition in India with just 99 units on sale, and to be honest, this strategy could work wonders for the company and soon the whole stock might be sold out.

Volkswagen Polo GTI Competitors

Volkswagen Polo GTI faces challenge from the Mini Cooper in the Indian market.